has anyone ever had to lubricate the machine heads I was tuning my squire tele just now and the low e tuning key was not smooth but notchy sort of sticking.
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Hi John, sometimes you can get a bit of grit inside the machine heads or dust particles, so yeah, I have cleaned mine and used WD-40 very mildly and then cleaned it off. I wouldn’t use oil, it can hold dirt, cheers HEC
Thanks Hec will do
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WD40 is a solvent, not a lubricant. Be very careful to clean it off. It can penetrate into your tuner workings, so make sure you get any out that soaked in. I personally would never use that product on my tuners, but I do see folks doing that kind of thing.
I also have stiking spots on my cheaper-than-dirt tuners that ceme on my budget strat kit. The spots feel to me like poor quality in the construction of the tuner, like high spots in the bushings, or maybe seams from the mould. I have not looked into a way to improve this other than just get another tuner that is nearly half the cost of the kit. So, I have not done it yet.
Do NOT use WD4O it will damage the lacquer and get into the wood causing it to discolour.
I would ask a luthier
I agree with others.
WD40 is not a lubricant. Not a very good solvent either for that matter. Not sure what the to use WD40 on. Myself, nothing at all comes to mind and I don’t have any around the house.
Wondering if you’ve totally loosened your low E string. Confirming that it’s machine head (by turning it w/o load on it) and not just the winds on the low E string being caught up in the nut. Seems like that could also cause the notchy sticking your describing.
While I don’t know what lub to use. I think I have used like light sewing machine type oil on mine on rare occasion. Been a while since i did that but remember it helped make it move smoother. I do remember using whatever lub I used and using it very sparingly. A little goes a long ways.
fwiw, my favorite lub is Triflow. A teflon base lub. Goes on wet, totally drys up and leaves teflon behind like a teflon no stick frying pan. After drying, it don’t attract dirt and grime. A great lub and I use it on near anything that I think needs lub. Disclaimer. Teflon is a carcinogen. It causes cancer. Use it at your own risk. Great lub though. No idea how it may effect the finish on a guitar.
Good luck.
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Do your tuners have screws like the one on this image?
If they do, maybe you could adjust it and see if it makes the tuning peg easier to turn.
OK thanks all could be sticking on the nut will try all options
Guitarman63, yes, good advice, especially on NOT using WD40 on your guitar tuners. It stays wet and can and will collect dirt and grit over a short period of time. As one person said, check the tuner without string load. If it turns easily, it’s probably not the tuner. Next check the nut for dirt. That can cause your strings to snag and jump when tuning and playing. I also play 5 string banjo. I spoke with a custom banjo builder recently, and he suggested running a number 2 pencil across the nut grooves a few times. The graphite in the pencil will get into the grooves and help keep it lubricated. I had powdered graphite here for lubricating locks, and I used that instead. So far, so good. No more sticking strings that get tuned, then pop out of tune the second I commence to play. I cleaned the grooves out first gently sliding the back of a razor knife blade through them a few times, lightly. Then I ran a sheet of paper edge through and blew on them to make sure they were clean.
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Yeah I’ve heard of the pencil trick before will give it a go thanks
fwiw,
I’ve taken the pencil trick one step further.
I mix powdered graphite w/vasoline. It makes a kinda paste type stuff.
I apply it with a toothpick. Wipe off any excess with a paper towel. Next time I change strings I wipe out the slots good and start it all over again.
I also use this lub at any friction points. ie. string tree if ya got one, bridge too.
I got this idea from Reverend guitars when I bought a new Reverend. The idea was in the small blurb about how to maintain their guitars. I think they were concerned about having their vibrato tail working well and coming back to in tune after using it.
imho, the pencil will work just fine.
Disclaimer, graphite will/can stain things black if ya get it where ya don’t want it.
I use powdered mica lube on white nuts. It won’t show since it is white and seems to wipe off the fretboard without residue. Same basic idea, but I use a toothpick or similar to drop a bit in the nut slot.
Perhaps check out ‘StewMac’ videos. They will show you how.
StewMac manufacture very good guitar tools.